10/12/2026
SINCE APPARENTLY WE NEED TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AGAIN.
I’m going to say something I’ve held back from saying publicly for a long time, and frankly, I’m past the point of caring who doesn’t like it.
I am SICK of the accusations. I’m sick of the assumptions. I’m sick of people in this local community acting like they know how our organization operates, what our finances look like, what our intentions are, and what we should or shouldn’t be doing with the animals in our care.
And I’m especially sick of being made to feel like we’re doing something wrong because we accept donations.
So let’s get a few things straight.
WE ARE A 501(c)(3) NONPROFIT. WE ARE ALLOWED TO ACCEPT DONATIONS. THAT IS PART OF HOW NONPROFITS OPERATE.
We are not required to personally drain our bank accounts to prove we love animals. We are not required to pay every bill out of our own pockets to earn the right to run a rescue. And we are certainly not required to justify every single animal we take in to people who have decided they know better than we do.
Donations pay for feed, hay, veterinary care, hoof care, fencing, shelters, construction, and the daily expenses of keeping animals alive, healthy, and safe. They are not an endless pile of money. They do not guarantee that every bill is covered. They do not mean we have thousands of dollars sitting around waiting to be spent.
My husband and I run this organization full time. We take no salaries from the sanctuary. We give our time, our energy, our labor, and our own money to make this work possible.
My husband recently personally funded a roughly $3,000 small-animal enclosure project when donations weren’t enough. Three thousand dollars. Out of his own pocket.
And yet we’re still supposed to sit here and listen to accusations that we’re somehow deceptive because we accept community support?
MAKE THAT MAKE SENSE.
Apparently, we’re expected to rescue animals, care for them every day, fund construction, cover expenses, and somehow do it all without asking the public for help. And if we DO ask for help, suddenly we’re doing something wrong.
Absolutely not.
NOW LET’S TALK ABOUT THE IDEA THAT WE SHOULDN’T TAKE IN ANIMALS UNLESS WE PLAN TO ADOPT THEM OUT.
We are Hope & Hooves RESCUE & SANCTUARY. Not Hope & Hooves Adoption Center.
There is a difference.
Some animals come through our doors and eventually find wonderful adoptive homes. Others remain in our care. That is what sanctuary means. It isn’t a secret. It isn’t deceptive. It isn’t some scheme to collect donations.
In 2025, we adopted out more than 26 animals. In 2026, nearly 10 more have found homes. Those animals have gone on to new chapters of their lives, and we are proud of every single one.
But apparently, unless we send every animal back out the door, some people think we have no business asking for donations to care for them.
There are permanent sanctuaries right here in our area that do not adopt out their animals at all. They rely on donations, too. Permanent sanctuary care is a legitimate model of animal care, just as adoption-focused rescue is.
So why is it suddenly a problem when WE do it?
WE DO NOT NEED TO ADOPT AN ANIMAL OUT TO JUSTIFY THAT ANIMAL’S EXISTENCE HERE.
We do not need to prove that every animal was abused, starved, or moments away from death to justify giving them a place here.
We are allowed to take in animals who need placement. We are allowed to make decisions based on our capacity and our mission. We are allowed to provide sanctuary. And we are allowed to ask people who believe in that mission to help fund it.
If you don’t agree with those decisions, you do not have to donate. Nobody is forcing you to support Hope & Hooves.
But do not turn your personal disagreement into an accusation that we’re deceiving people.
AND THIS IS THE PART I’M REALLY TIRED OF.
Every six months or so, it feels like we’re right back here again. Defending ourselves against the same assumptions. Explaining the same things. Having our intentions questioned by people who are not here doing the daily work, paying the bills, cleaning the pens, feeding the animals, making veterinary decisions, or figuring out how to fund the next project.
And this is what people don’t see: the accusations, the criticism, the messages, and the constant need to defend ourselves have become part of the daily bullying I deal with as a rescue.
Yes, I said bullying.
When you’re repeatedly confronted with accusations, when your intentions are questioned, and when you constantly feel like you have to defend every decision you make just to do the work you’ve dedicated your life to, it takes a toll.
I’m a real person. My husband is a real person. We are a family with children, responsibilities, bills, and lives outside of this organization. We have feelings. We get exhausted. We get hurt. And we get angry.
There are real people behind Hope & Hooves. There is a family behind it. There are hours of unpaid work, personal sacrifices, financial contributions, and an enormous amount of responsibility that most people never see.
Do you know what it’s like to be responsible for living beings every single day and then have people act as though asking for help makes you a bad person?
Do you know what it’s like to pour your life into something, sacrifice financially for it, and STILL have to defend yourself because somebody thinks you should be doing it differently?
I’M TIRED OF IT.
I’m tired of the expectation that we should personally fund everything while simultaneously being criticized for accepting donations. I’m tired of people deciding which animals deserve help and which ones don’t, as if only the most tragic cases are worthy of care.
And I’m tired of the idea that a rescue owes everyone an explanation every time someone disagrees with a decision.
We are a nonprofit organization. We have a mission. We have operating expenses. We have animals who depend on us. We have an adoption program AND a sanctuary program.
WE ARE NOT GOING TO APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
I’m sharing these messages because I’m done pretending these accusations don’t affect us. I’m done pretending the constant pressure and criticism don’t wear on me. And I’m done staying quiet just because speaking up might make somebody uncomfortable.
You are free to disagree with us. You are free to donate somewhere else. You are free to choose another rescue to support.
But you are NOT entitled to rewrite our intentions, assume the worst about our organization, or label our work deceptive simply because you don’t agree with how we operate.
And let me make one final thing VERY clear.
WE KNOW WHO OUR REAL SUPPORTERS ARE.
We know who stands beside us. We know who believes in our mission. We know who sees the work we put in, the sacrifices we make, and the love we have for these animals. Those people have shown us time and time again, and we are incredibly grateful for them.
But to those who constantly criticize us, question our intentions, and try to make us feel like we’re doing something wrong when we’re not?
I DON’T NEED YOUR SUPPORT.
If you don’t like what we do here, PLEASE DON’T SUPPORT US. Don’t donate. Don’t follow this page. You do not have to be part of this community or this mission.
And honestly? DON’T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU ON THE WAY OUT.
But what you are NOT going to do is continue bullying me, making accusations, and trying to make me feel guilty for running this organization and caring for these animals the way we do.
I will listen to genuine questions. I will own our mistakes when we make them. Nobody is claiming we’re perfect.
But I will NOT continue to sit back and let people make me feel like accepting donations to fund a legitimate nonprofit mission is something to be ashamed of.
I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THIS RESCUE. I AM NOT ASHAMED OF ASKING FOR HELP. AND I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE ANIMALS WE CHOOSE TO CARE FOR.
Hope & Hooves will continue to rescue animals. We will continue to find loving homes for those who are ready. We will continue to provide sanctuary for those who remain. And we will continue to ask for public support because that is how we fund the work we do.
You don’t have to like us. You don’t have to agree with us. You don’t even have to follow us.
But you will not bully me into believing that I’m doing something wrong simply because you don’t agree with how we operate.
WE KNOW WHY WE’RE HERE. WE KNOW WHAT WE’RE BUILDING. AND WE KNOW WHAT THESE ANIMALS MEAN TO US.
We will keep showing up for them. That’s what matters. And no amount of local criticism is going to change that.
